{"id":103046,"date":"2025-03-06T12:24:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T17:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/?p=103046"},"modified":"2025-03-06T12:24:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T17:24:31","slug":"student-spotlight-elizabeth-poplavska-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/2025\/03\/06\/student-spotlight-elizabeth-poplavska-25\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Spotlight: Elizabeth Poplavska ’25"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Elizabeth Poplavska is a second-year Master of Science in Forensic Anthropology student at Graduate Medical Sciences. Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Brooklyn College and moved to Boston to build her knowledge about the science and biological aspects of the subject. Her current research assesses CT scans of antemortem tooth loss, dental caries, and crown restorations for skeletal biomarkers of stress in opioid users and non-opioid users. Elizabeth plans to graduate in August 2025. Learn more about her time at BU below!<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Tell me a bit about your journey to Boston. What was your educational and\/or background prior to coming to BU?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York. I attended Brooklyn College there, where I received my bachelor\u2019s degree in Anthropology. I wasn\u2019t sure exactly what I wanted to do afterwards, but I knew I wanted to go back to school and stay in that field. During my two-year gap, I worked random jobs. One of them was in education with kids, and I really enjoyed connecting my anthropology background from my undergrad courses and incorporating that into teaching kids, which was fulfilling.<\/p>\n

I still wanted to go back to school, so I looked into specific graduate programs. There are quite a few anthropology programs, but specific programs for forensic anthropology are few and far between. One of the programs was a two-year program here at Boston University. So, I decided to apply, and I got in.<\/p>\n

What drew you to Boston University and the Forensic Anthropology program?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The program is unique in a few ways. There are a lot of courses that are taught that aren’t really offered anywhere else, and they’re taught by specific professors who have done a lot of research and are known in the field. They\u2019re very knowledgeable about their fields of expertise. I looked up their research interests prior to attending, and they lined up with what I was interested in studying. I figured that this would be a good fit.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a two-year program, and there is a lot packed in. We do a lot of coursework, lab work and report writing, and in addition, we write a full-length master\u2019s thesis or manuscript. There\u2019s a lot of hands-on work to do, but I like it. The program prepares you for transitioning outside into the field or allows you to pursue your PhD if you want to continue to do more research post grad school. In the second year, we have a lot of hands-on lab work using techniques and methods. We\u2019re applying everything that we learned during the first year and the second year, which transitions us out of the program. Past students have found a lot of job opportunities. I think that one of the things that drew me to the program was the program outcomes and the applicability of this degree to multiple employment positions.<\/p>\n

The program is small, too. There are just 10 of us [in my cohort], and it\u2019s beneficial, because you work with such a close-knit group of students. You get to hear their perspectives. There is a lot of collaborative teamwork and learning from others, as well.<\/p>\n

Did you always know you wanted to do something in this field?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Initially, I definitely knew I wanted to stay in anthropology. I took one forensic anthropology course in undergrad, which was my first look into the field. I didn\u2019t think I was going to go into forensic anthropology initially, but then I took that one course, where we had to do a report and estimate aspects of a skeleton to create a biological profile. That was my first time working with human osteological remains, and I realized that I\u2019m really interested in human anatomy and osteology. That propelled me forward into researching more about the science and biological aspects of anthropology.<\/p>\n

Can you tell me about some of the work or research you\u2019re doing in your program?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Currently, I\u2019m looking at CT scans from the New Mexico Decedent Image Database to assess oral health. I\u2019m specifically looking at antemortem tooth loss, dental caries, and crown restorations in opioid users and non-opioid users. I\u2019m looking at these CT scans and assessing them through a structural vulnerability framework.<\/p>\n

I want to see if there are certain skeletal biomarkers of stress, because certain marginalized groups who experience social inequity and social stress can embody that stress. Through research, evidence of stress has been shown to show up physically in the body. I\u2019m taking that aspect and applying it to oral health and individuals\u2019 access to healthcare resources like dental care.<\/p>\n

What are your longer-term goals in this field?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In the near future, I definitely want to work in a medical examiner\u2019s office. I had the opportunity to intern at the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York this past summer, when I was back home. I was specifically working with the forensic anthropology unit there, and it gave me an in-depth look at the many different things that forensic anthropologists can do, how they\u2019re employed and how their knowledge and expertise are used. I want to stay in that kind of work sphere.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also open to other areas, just because anthropology itself is very applicable to multiple fields. I think that forensic anthropology is a little more specific for forensic and lab-based positions but having that general anthropology background and knowledge is still important and can be applied to other positions such as humanitarian work and human resources. I\u2019m open to anything, but ideally, I want to work within a medical examiner\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Are there any mentors who\u2019ve helped you get to this point?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Generally, my friends and my family have been my mentors. They have provided a lot of support. I was very indecisive before, and I kept changing what I wanted to do while still staying in anthropology. They supported me throughout my undergrad, and my couple of gap years while I figured out what it was, I wanted to do. That\u2019s been really helpful.<\/p>\n

My thesis advisor, Dr. Sean Tallman, has been my mentor for the past two years, and he\u2019s also my thesis advisor. He has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, trust the process, pursue my interests and expand within the field. He was very open to changes and provided me with a lot of self-confidence. His extensive insight and knowledge in the field helped solidify my own interests within the program. I\u2019m really glad to have him as a mentor in the program<\/p>\n

What advice would you give to future GMS students pursuing a similar path?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. I think I\u2019ve learned to realize that people want to help you. You just have to ask. People can\u2019t read your mind. I\u2019m a little introverted, so I think that was a very difficult transition for me. I knew that resources and help were available, but I needed to take that step myself. It\u2019s up to you to put in the effort to see the results. Especially within the program, everyone is willing to help, and you just need to ask. The program offers a lot of opportunities and really preps you for the field outside of an academic setting,<\/p>\n

I think I\u2019d also say being open to challenges and being flexible and adaptable. I think that\u2019s very important, especially because you\u2019re coming in with different skills and knowledge than the other students. If you\u2019re flexible to other people\u2019s opinions and group work and teamwork, that\u2019s really going to strengthen yourself and build your collaboration skills. The program is challenging, but we all made it through by working together.<\/p>\n

I also think that because grad school is a learning curve for a lot of people, prioritizing your mental health and wellbeing is super important. Having a close support system and social circle has really gotten me through. I\u2019m living on my own here, but I try to visit back home as much as I can. Every day, I prioritize doing something for myself or just something like taking a nice walk outside.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

What are your hobbies\/what do you like to do for fun around Boston?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I really like to read. I’m currently reading classical literature and am finishing up One Thousand and One Arabian Nights<\/em>. I like to go on walks outside. Once it gets warmer, I like to go into Boston Commons and walk around. It\u2019s so quaint and peaceful here compared to New York. I really enjoy that aspect of it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Elizabeth Poplavska is a second-year Master of Science in Forensic Anthropology student at Graduate Medical Sciences. Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Brooklyn College and moved to Boston to build her knowledge about the science and biological aspects of the subject. Her current research assesses CT scans of antemortem tooth loss, dental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20706,"featured_media":103045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[795,54,7074,1534],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103046"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20706"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103046"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103048,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103046\/revisions\/103048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}